The invention relates to a method for order control in a production process for a fiber product, and to an apparatus for executing the method. The production of fiber products is substantially determined by the quality standards that the fiber product is to possess. Irrespective of whether the fiber product is a single fiber or a fabric, certain application-specific properties are required. Thus, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,469,149 (EP 0 580 071 A2) describes the production of a synthetic fiber in which the respectively produced quality of the fiber is monitored continuously during the process. In this case, in the event of deviations, a selective method modification can be made in the production process. In this case, the production process is usually monitored and controlled from a plant controller.
In practice, the fiber products that are to be produced are determined by individual production orders. Each production lot of a fiber product is thus based on a production order. In the case of the processing of a plurality of production orders, the problem arises, particularly in the process for the production of fiber products, that, due to the complex processing steps for the production of the fiber product, a multiplicity of parameters results in unavoidable production process malfunctions, due to fluctuating quality of the fiber product or process interruptions. Thus, for example, in the case of a process for the production of textured yarns, in which a fed synthetic yarn is stretched and crimped, the fiber product is divided into quality levels A, B and C. Thus, for example, a production order having as a target standard a certain product quantity of the quality A could only be produced as efficiently as possible if, during the production process, the quality levels B and C are immaterial or do not arise at all. This cannot be realized, however, since a spool containing the crimped yarn is already assessed as being of B quality if, for example, there is contained within the spool a thread knot resulting from the transition from a supply spool to a reserve spool. Consequently, planning for the purpose of processing a plurality of successive production orders is scarcely possible, or is possible only with great effort.
Accordingly, an object of the invention is to create both a method for order control in a production process for a fiber product, and an apparatus for executing the method, with which planning for the purpose of executing production orders is possible.
A further aim of the invention is to monitor the production process in respect of the underlying production order.